Stars lining up to trace their history on Kudrow's family tree show

The actress fell in love with the British show, brought it to America last year (10) and appeared on one of the first episodes as she traced her family tree back to Europe.

Spike Lee, Susan Sarandon and Sarah Jessica Parker also made appearances on the programme and Kudrow is thrilled the show has been a big hit among her Hollywood peers.

She says, "This time it was easier to populate the show, that's for sure. People had seen it and they knew that we're not out to exploit anything compromising having to do with celebrity. It's really just using them as the narrator on the investigation of their ancestry and historical events as experienced by their ancestors."

The second series features country star Tim McGraw, Steve Buscemi and Lionel Richie - and Kudrow insists it's even more fascinating than last season.

She explains, "Tim McGraw's family goes way back on his father's side deep into American history. On the show he finds out that he had ancestors who were right on the border and at times on the wrong side of the border into Indian territory as the U.S. was moving west.

"Steve Buscemi was excited to find out if he has rogues and villains in his family tree because he plays complicated people and can access them so easily, and Lionel Richie, who is shooting right now, found some pretty amazing things based on the fact that he had a great grandmother with a very unique name."